Southwest vs South Austin (house, neighborhood, schools)

[Raskolnikov]

I agree with Actung. I know someone who moved down there because they could buy a bigger/ nicer/ newer house, and aside from them liking the elementary school, I feel sorry for him on the commute. It's not convenient to anything and he's constantly complaining about it. Unless you work in Buda or far South Austin, I'd avoid it. I also really don't think it's going to age well down there, in terms of the kind of houses they're building. I wouldn't imagine it'll hold value.

[neddy]

If Mr. is working north of town (whatever that is) why don't you go look at some of the areas north of town? Avery Ranch is much like Circle C. Crystal Falls is master planned several nice master planned areas with great schools up north and perhaps easier drive for Mr. ...worth a look.

[jdrtx]

Buy the 150k house and put down roots.

Sure, the crown molding, stainless, granite, extra rooms, double ovens, double refrigerators, and walk-in closets are nice but your children are so much nicer.

When you look back on your life it won't be about the carpet or travertine, or back splash, it will be about your children. This stuff makes a house not a home like kids will do.

Think of their future when you are helplessly at work and can not devote enough time for them. Everything else will come into play afterwords.

You are at the most important time of your life, do not miss this opportunity. Thank you for asking this delicate question and thanks for reading and good luck.

[atxcio]

Buda and Southwest Austin are in two completely different categories. You are looking at starter homes in a far-flung suburb vs. upper middle homes in a close-in location. In SW Austin, you are neighbors with Westlake and Downtown Austin. In Buda, you are neighbors with Kyle and I-35 out of town.

If you can afford $400K, don't spend it all but stay in SW Austin. I don't think you should bother with a $150K at this stage in your life unless you want to absolutely save as much money as possible. In which case I would recommend renting.

Sounds like a $250-300K home in an established part of SW Austin would be optimal. You'll save money vs. the newer, bigger, fancier homes but still enjoy the same strong resale and neighborhood location/amenities/schools.

[jdrtx]

Buy in the SW Austin and have Dad commute to North? Really? Can't wait to read this reasoning.

[Raskolnikov]

JDRTX brings up a good point - but I just can't recommend Round Rock or far North Austin. Maybe Steiner Ranch or the area around there is comparable to Southwest Austin in terms of a great place to raise a family..

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by austinbound44

We've been searching online for a few days and seems like most 4 bed/2 bath homes in the 78749 and 78739 zips are $280k and up.

You need to get with a good realtor. There are numerous 4 bedroom 2 bath homes in the Legend Oaks area 78749 listed for considerably less then $280k.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by jdrtx

Buy in the SW Austin and have Dad commute to North? Really? Can't wait to read this reasoning.

I've known many families over the years who did this. It's not unusual or absurd at all. One of my friends worked at Dell for 15 years, lived and raised family in Oak Hill. Another friend of mine did the same on 5 acres in Dripping Springs.

Commuting time/distance is just one of many factors that people look at when deciding where to live. SW Austin offers many lifestyle advantages, close proximity to downtown and the airport. great amenities less then 5 minutes away, etc. All of that has to be weighed against a long commute, but it would be stupid to rule out SW Austin unless 30+ minute commute is an absolute deal breaker.

Steve

[jdrtx]

In general, the OP family distance to downtown will be the same no matter which side of Austin they chose and will only need to travel to the airport a half dozen times a year, yet Steve brings this scenario into play without a mention of Mom and the kids as an important consideration .

Also, along with "lifestyle advantages of the SW", as if there are not any North within 5 minutes. Add that hour and a half commute total per day and it should be a deal breaker when a family has a choice. Maybe Steve's friends did not have the choice as the OP. Maybe they had family or stuck in a house that would not sell, who knows.

How can one think that a 45 minute commute is okay with pressing obligations that may include gymnastics, dance, football, church, school functions, and other joys on young parents. And you are wrong, time is the most important factor.

In my opinion, buy a 150k house and Mom stays home and raises the kids and Dad commutes from an area near his job.

Good luck.

[austinbound44]

WOW...I'll say it again - This site has been more than helpful to me in so many ways. I apologize for leaving out some important details. To answer some questions, my husband works where the mopac hits 183. He's in sales so he technically has to be in the office only 1 - 2 days per week...on other days he is on the road, mostly in downtown. When he DOES work in the office, it takes 30 mins in the morning to get there (which includes a stop for D&D coffee) and about 30 - 45 mins to get home depending on the time he leaves. For us, that isn't too bad but I guess it's all relative. He's originally from Boston and I am from Miami so that is the norm for our commutes and we also lived in LA for a few years when an hour commute was a short one!

Another item I forgot to mention is I would like to stay south or south west of Austin because my brother lives in Kyle. He and his wife have been the ones trying to convince us to settle in Buda - we could get so much house, live in a good school district and of course, be close to them. But my gut was telling me it wouldn't be the wisest investment nor lifestyle choice. There is just not much there and while the housing is cheap, it's pretty far out and after reading all of your posts - it just validated my feelings. We also don't want to move north because once I do go to work FT, my sister in law will watch my daughter (which will help them financially) so we have to be somewhat close to them. I am consulting for the company I worked for in Miami but am interviewing at companies in downtown and expect to work FT in that area in the coming months. Is the commute to downtown from the mopac and slaughter that bad? I'm not sure of that one.

Austin Steve - you brought up a great point in sacrificing other things in our budget like eating out and shopping in order to be able to afford to live in the neighborhood we like. The main reason we moved here in the first place was so we could afford a better quality of life and by that I mean, my not working a high stress job with long hours and long commutes, only allowing me 2-3 hours with my daughter per day and my husband playing mr mom cooking dinner every night. While it's a life I created, it's a life I want to slow down. And so if I stop working, we couldn't afford the $400k I previously mentioned. That's the only reason I considered Buda.

I know the traditional family has mom staying at home with the kids and dad out working but it doesn't apply with us. I make more than my husband and bring home a considerable chunk of our income. But I believe I can find the balance here by trying to stay under $250k.

Thanks so much on the opinions...we read through every comment together and decided to stick with SW Austin and maybe explore any other neighborhoods in the area that are a bit lower but still within a great school district. The sacrifice we can make is getting the cheapest house possible in SW Austin without all the bells and whistles (granite, backsplash, etc)...maybe even reducing our requirement to a 3/2. Like someone else posted, we can always upgrade later. And we'll check out other neighborhoods...thanks Raskolnikov...we'll definitely look into West Creek. By the way Trainwreck, we definitely don't need over 2400 sq ft....coming from Miami, anything over 2000 is huge for us!

thanks again everyone. we definitely have a lot more clarity and direction now.